Method of manufacturing a mounting frame for a vehicle wind deflector

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a method of mounting a fairing to a roof of a vehicle and a method of manufacturing a mounting frame for mounting a fairing to a roof of a vehicle. The mounting frame has a lower portion for mounting to the roof of the vehicle and an upper portion for securing the fairing. The mounting frame is formed by determining a contour of the mounting surface, creating a mould for moulding the lower portion of the mounting frame having a bottom edge configured generally complementary to the contour of at least a portion of the mounting surface, and moulding an upper portion affixed to the lower portion and having an outer face configured generally complementary to an interior surface of the fairing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to vehicle wind deflectors. In particular, thisinvention relates to wind deflectors for trucks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A fairing, or wind deflector, is a device that changes the airflowaround a vehicle. An effective fairing will reduce wind resistance whilethe vehicle is in motion, and consequently increase stability and fuelefficiency. Many types of vehicles use fairings beneficially, but aneffective fairing is especially advantageous in the heavy truckindustry.

Semi-trailer trucks, also called “tractor-trailers,” are common in theheavy truck industry. The tractor, which includes a towing engine, istypically not as tall as the trailer, which carries the freight. Theportion of the trailer extending above the roof of the tractor presentsa large surface area which is vertical and perpendicular to the motionof the truck, and thus will be generally perpendicular to the flow ofair when the truck is in motion at a high speed. Without a fairing, thisconfiguration encounters considerable wind resistance from wind passingover the top of the tractor and hitting the vertical front face of thetrailer.

Conventional fairings are commonly manufactured as a single piecemounted directly to the truck roof or they are provided with metalmounting hardware to secure the fairing to the tractor. However, formaximum benefit the fairing should be mounted to the tractor roof in asubstantially airtight fashion, i.e. with no significant gaps betweenthe lower edge of the fairing and the tractor roof. Different tractorstyles have different roof profiles, and thus require different shapesor sizes of fairings in order to achieve an air-tight mating between thelower edge of the fairing and the roof of the truck. Providing a customfairing design with a different lower edge profile for each tractorstyle, which is the conventional method, is costly.

It would accordingly be desirable to provide a method and device thatwould allow the use of a standardized fairing on a variety of tractorstyles, and a method of manufacturing such a device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferredembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fairing mounted to the roof of atractor using the method and device of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partly exploded perspective view of a mounting frameaccording to the invention mounted to the roof of a tractor.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the mounting frame ofFIG. 2, secured to a fairing.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the mounting frame of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a method and device for mounting afairing to the roof of a vehicle, and a method of manufacturing thedevice.

The invention provides a method of manufacturing a mounting frame formounting a fairing to a roof of a vehicle, the roof having a mountingsurface, the mounting frame having a lower portion for mounting to theroof and an upper portion for securing the fairing, the methodcomprising the steps of: a. determining a contour of the mountingsurface; b. creating at least one mould for moulding a lower portion ofthe mounting frame having a bottom edge configured generallycomplementary to the contour of at least a portion of the mountingsurface; and c. moulding the lower portion and an upper portion of themounting frame, the upper portion affixed to or integral with the lowerportion and having an outer face configured generally complementary toan interior surface of the fairing.

The invention further provides a method of mounting a fairing to a roofof a vehicle, the roof having a mounting surface, the method comprisingthe steps of: a. affixing to the mounting surface a mounting framecomprising a lower portion having a bottom edge configured generallycomplementary to the contour of at least a portion of the mountingsurface and an upper portion affixed to or integral with the lowerportion and having an outer face configured generally complementary toan interior surface of the fairing; and b. affixing the fairing to theupper portion of the mounting frame.

The invention further provides a mounting frame for mounting a fairingto a roof of a vehicle, the roof having a mounting surface, the mountingframe comprising a lower portion for mounting to the roof, having abottom edge configured generally complementary to a contour of at leasta portion of the mounting surface, and an upper portion for securing thefairing, affixed to or integral with the lower portion and having anouter face configured generally complementary to an interior surface ofthe fairing, whereby to mount the fairing the mounting frame is affixedto the mounting surface by placing the mounting frame on the mountingsurface and fastening the lower portion of the mounting frame to themounting surface and the fairing is affixed to the mounting frame byplacing the fairing on the mounting frame and fastening the fairing tothe upper portion of the mounting frame.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the devicecomprises a mounting frame provided as an interface between the roof ofthe tractor portion of a tractor trailer (or, in a unitary truck design,the roof of the cabin) and the fairing. Preferably, the mounting frameis injection moulded, and designed to fit the roof contour of aparticular tractor as closely as possible.

The use of a custom mounting frame as an interface enables the use of astandardized or generic fairing, which may be a unitary or a modularfairing, for several different tractor styles. Thus, instead of using adifferent custom fairing for each brand of truck, a single standardfairing is mounted to a custom mounting frame. The mounting frame is asignificantly smaller component than the fairing, and accordingly it issubstantially less expensive to produce a mounting frame specific to thetractor desired to be outfitted with a fairing. Thus, a manufacturer mayreduce costs by utilizing the mounting frame of the invention.

Because the mounting frame is much lighter than the fairing andtherefore easier to align with the tractor roof for mounting, thepresent invention also simplifies the mounting process and requires lesstools. The mounting frame of the invention shortens the fairinginstallation process considerably and helps to prevent scratching of thetractor roof. Also, in a preferred embodiment the mounting frameincludes a plurality of generally equidistant attachment points, whichspread the load evenly about the perimeter of the fairing to improvestability and strengthen the attachment of the fairing to the roof ofthe tractor. The perimeter flange further supports the assembly toprevent oil canning effects.

In the preferred embodiment, the mounting frame is formed from 30%glass-filled polypropylene. Other materials may be used, but nylon andpolypropylene are preferred as they have some flexibility, so themounting frame can flex to fit the truck roof contour if necessary. Theuse of polypropylene or other plastics makes the mounting framesubstantially lighter than a metal frame, and is less likely to scratchthe surface of the roof of the tractor. Preferably the mounting frame isformed in two halves, reducing the required mould to a more practicalsize.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, a mounting frame 10 according to theinvention is preferably formed from mating laterally symmetrical framehalves 10 a and 10 b which connect at a butt joint 12 (which mayalternatively overlap or interlock in some fashion). The mounting frame10 comprises a lower portion 20 having a bottom edge 22, which is formedin a profile complementary to the profile of the mounting surface 6extending about the roof 4 of the tractor 2. The mounting surface 6typically extends along the periphery of the front and sides of the roof4, and may include a portion of the rear of the roof 4 if the mountingframe 10 wraps around the rear edge slightly as shown in FIG. 2. Thelower portion 20 may be visible and if so may be painted or otherwisefinished in the same manner as the tractor 2, for aesthetic purposes.The lower portion 20 is preferably provided with a plurality ofpre-drilled or pre-formed holes 34 along its bottom edge 22, preferablygenerally equidistant from one another, for affixing the mounting frame10 to the mounting surface 6 extending about the tractor roof 4.

Projecting from the lower portion 20 is an upper portion 30. If thelower portion 20 is visible when the fairing is mounted, as in theembodiment shown, the upper portion 30 may be inset from the outer faceof the lower portion 20 so that when the fairing 8 is affixed to themounting frame 10 the front surface of the fairing 8 is substantiallyflush with the outer face of the lower portion 20. The upper portion 30has an outer face 32 configured to be complementary to the interiorsurface of the fairing 8 adjacent to its lower edge, and a thicknesssufficient to withstand the wind forces experienced by the fairing 8 inuse. The upper portion 30 may be formed from a series of intermittentprojections, but is preferably substantially continuous as shown formaximum strength, and is provided with a plurality of pre-drilled orpre-formed holes 34, preferably generally equidistant from one another,for bolting the fairing 8 to the mounting frame 10. The pre-formed holes34 may be provided with threaded brass inserts 36 to facilitate mountingof the fairing 8 and reinforce the openings 34.

In the preferred embodiment the mounting frame 10 is injection moulded.The mould may be created by taking a cast of the tractor roof 4 toobtain a complement of the roof contour, and using a conventionalco-ordinate measuring machine such as FaroArm™, or any other co-ordinatemeasuring machine that is large enough and otherwise suitable to createthe roof cast, to replicate the mounting surface 6 portion of thetractor roof 4 in a mould for each frame half 10 a, 10 b of the mountingframe 10. Alternatively, a truck manufacturer may provide Computer AidedDesign (CAD) data detailing the contour of the truck roof 4, in whichcase the mould can be created in conventional fashion directly from theCAD data using available modelling software, such as Pro/ENGINEER™ orSolidWorks™. Once the mould has been created, each half 10 a, 10 b ofthe mounting frame 10 can be moulded in conventional fashion.

A method of manufacturing a mounting frame for mounting a fairing 8 to aroof 4 of a vehicle 2 according to the invention thus comprises thesteps of:

a. determining a contour of the mounting surface 6;

b. creating at least one mould for moulding a lower portion 20 of themounting frame having a bottom edge 22 configured generallycomplementary to the contour of at least a portion of the mountingsurface 6; and

c. moulding the lower portion 20 and an upper portion 30 affixed to orintegral with the lower portion 20 and having an outer face 32configured generally complementary to an interior surface of thefairing.

A method of mounting the fairing 8 to the roof of a vehicle furthercomprises the steps of:

d. affixing the mounting frame 10 to the mounting surface; and

e. affixing the fairing to the mounting frame.

To mount the fairing 8, the mounting frame 10 is placed on the mountingsurface 6 about the tractor roof 4 and fastened to the roof 4, such asby the use of bolts or screws through each of the pre-formed openings inlower portion 20. The fairing 8 is then placed on the mounting frame 10,drilled at each of the pre-formed openings 34, and bolted to the upperportion 30 preferably using corrosion-resistant fasteners such as brassbolts engaging the threaded brass inserts 36.

Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus describedin detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that variations and modifications may be made without departing fromthe invention. The invention includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method of manufacturing a mounting frame for mounting a fairing toa roof of a vehicle, the roof having a mounting surface, the mountingframe having a lower portion for mounting to the roof and an upperportion for securing the fairing, the method comprising the steps of: a.determining a contour of the mounting surface; b. creating at least onemould for moulding a lower portion of the mounting frame having a bottomedge configured generally complementary to the contour of at least aportion of the mounting surface; and c. moulding the lower portion andan upper portion of the mounting frame, the upper portion affixed to orintegral with the lower portion and having an outer face configuredgenerally complementary to an interior surface of the fairing.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the mould is configured to mould the upperportion integrally with the lower portion.
 3. The method of claim 1wherein the mounting frame is moulded in parts.
 4. The method of claim 3wherein the mounting frame is moulded in laterally symmetrical halves.5. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper portion is provided withholes for affixing the fairing.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein theholes are generally equidistant.
 7. The method of claim 2 wherein theupper portion is inset from the lower portion.
 8. (canceled) 9.(canceled)
 10. (canceled)
 11. (canceled)
 12. (canceled)
 13. (canceled)14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)
 16. (canceled)
 17. (canceled)